The invention relates generally to the field of photography, and in particular to a dual film image and electronic image capture camera with an optional-use self-timer.
A shutter controls the time during which light is allowed to reach the sensitized material in a camera. The shutter consists of some means of normally covering the taking lens, the aperture stop or the film light-tight, uncovering it for a brief time and then covering it up again. As is known, a self-timer is a delayed action release for the shutter. The self-timer, when set, delays operation of the shutter for a predetermined time. This, for example, gives a person the opportunity to place himself in front of the camera in order to be photographed.
Recently, a dual image camera has been proposed for substantially simultaneously capturing a film image of a subject being photographed and an electronic image of the subject. The camera includes an image display that shows a captured electronic image of the subject which corresponds to a captured film image of the subject. The displayed electronic image permits one to verify they got the captured film image they wanted. The camera does not include a self-timer.
The cross-referenced application Ser. No. 09/494,012, entitled DUAL FILM EXPOSURE, ELECTRONIC EXPOSURE CAMERA WITH ELECTRONIC INFORMATION EDITING AFTER EACH EXPOSURE AND INFORMATION RECORDING ON FILM AFTER COMPLETED EXPOSURE discloses a dual film image and electronic image capture camera that is capable of electronic information editing after each substantially simultaneous film and electronic exposure, and that magnetically records the information adjacent each one of the exposed film frames after completed exposure of the entire film length.
According to one aspect of the invention, a camera for substantially simultaneously capturing a film image of a subject being photographed and an electronic image of the subject, which includes a display that shows a captured electronic image of the subject corresponding to a captured film image of the subject to permit one to verify they got the captured film image they wanted, is characterized in that:
an optional-use self-timer is used to delay film image and electronic image capture of the subject; and
a control connected to the display and to the self-timer causes a preview electronic image to be shown in the display before film image capture of the subject can occur, only when the self-timer is to be used. The preview electronic image shown in the display can be used to determine whether the camera is correctly positioned for picture-taking. Preferably, the control provides an indication that there is no film image capture of the subject when the display shows the preview electronic image.
According to another aspect of the invention, an image display method for a camera that substantially simultaneously captures a film image of a subject being photographed and an electronic image of the subject corresponding to the captured film image, and that includes an optional-use self-timer used to delay film image and electronic image capture of the subject, comprises the steps of:
electronically capturing a preview image without film image capture of the subject and displaying the electronically captured preview image, only when the self-timer is to be used; and
electronically capturing an image of the subject corresponding to a captured film image of the subject and displaying the captured electronic image, regardless of whether the self-timer has been used.